Gaming terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Liquid crystal displays, or LCDs, have long been incorporated into gaming machines to enhance the flexibility of the displayed wagering games. However, some players prefer to see mechanical reels rather than a video rendering of a slot machine game, in part due to the more traditional appearance of the rotating slot reels. Utilization of mechanical reels makes the wagering game more enjoyable for such players, but limits the ability of the wagering game machine to present computer graphics and animation to enhance the theme of the wagering game or to provide other information, and so may be less entertaining to players than a wagering game utilizing a touchscreen LCD wagering game system.